Inflatable spiral tube



Aug. 20, 935. s. wlLLlG INFLATABLE SPIRAL TUBE Filed Aug. 9, 1934 2SheeS-Sheetl 2 Sigeizzize'y I INVENTOR Y Patented Aug. 201,y v193:5

@fliege-1 f JNFLTABL sPirtAL VToen -Steplenf Willig, `kronfOho Theinvention relates vto a tube'construction 'and'more especially to aninflatable spiral tube.

The primary object of the invention 'isfthe g provision of a tube ofthis character, wherein the 5 same is of spiral contour and is usablelas an inner tube for pneumatic tires or as a water is formed with ahollowconvoluted' body adapt` able for inflation and the placingthereofV with-V in the shoe or casing o'f a pneumatic tire and in usedasan inner tube, andY inexpensive to manuj combination andY arrangement ofparts as will be or air hose, and'in the use of this tubev asan innertube fora tire 'the formation thereof las-Y 4sures the lextending andcontracting of the spiral accordingeto shocks and jars incident tothetravel'of the tire, so as to relieve undue strain,

upon said inner tube in the functioning thereof and also it will bemaintained cool by reason of free circulation about the coils of thetube-.T

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tube of thischaracter wherein the `same this use affords maximum cushioningactionand sustaining power .with minimum strain upon the tube in itsentirety and more readily the respective coils or convolutions vabsorbblow strains', lessening blow-outs and withstanding weight strains, thetube being susceptible of extending and contracting in a spiral courseand thus being self-adjusting coincident to rcondii tions incident tothetravel of the tire.

A further object of the invention is thel pro-V vision of a 'tube ofthis -character which is eX- tremely'simple in construction,thoroughly'reliable and efficient in its purposes, strong,- dura- Y ble,readily and easily iniiated and deiiated when facture.

With these and other yobjects in View, the inV vention VconsistsV in thefeatures of construction,

hereinafter morefullydescribed in detail, illus'- trated in theaccompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of theinvention, k

in the claim hereunto j ap- Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation whendisposed in a straight line.` y

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing a modified form of ytube andused as an inner tube for a tire casing or shoe.

Figurei' is a Vertical sectional View thereof.

- Figures is-asideeievaupn of a'siignt modiecation.v

Figure 7 is avertical sectional View there#- through;

` Figure-8 is a transverse sectional view throughVV one coilV o i themodified form shown in Figures v Figure 9 is VSimilar referencecharacters indicate corre'- sponding parts throughout the drawings, v vReferring to the" drawings in detail, particularly Figures l to` 3inclusive, A designates' dia- Ygranunatically the shoe or casing of apneumaticv tire andV within the same is fitted lthe tube emefullyrdescribed.

This tube comprises a hollow body iii,V prefere ably made from rubber orcompositions having `the several views in,

a View similar toFigure 2 showing Y' 'a still further modification.

bodying the present invention and hereinafterf l rinherent elasticity orresiliency. This'body iii is formed inja spiral il and theends of thesaid body are connected through "the medium of Y a splice it,r s othatthe spiral Il of the tube will assuine an annular shape. Each spiralll is formed with the flats I3 at the sides, top and bottom, y

and 'one'V of Vsuch vspirals -has. fitted therewith an inflating valvedstem lli, s that the tube it can inner tube be filled with air forfunctioning as an for a pneumatic tire. Y

The spaces l5 as created between'the spirals vl i.

roughy or specially formed.

ofthe tube'ii) permit a Vcirculation ofair so as i 'n to minimize Vtheheating of the inner tube ,whenl worn within the tire, that is, the shoeor casing A.

The in or"outsi`de tube surface maybe smooth,

it should be apparent that the tube i itsV 'Y y construction can extendand contract and eachspiral Il can labsorbshocks 'and jars or'strainsincident thereto during the travel/ of the tire and thus relieving adistribution of such strain to the tire infits'entirety. The tube with lthe spirals VIl will support weight strains and `such tube isself-adjusting. Y Y

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings there is shown a slight modificationwherein the spirals i5 are of circular cross-sectional formation. InVVother words, each spiral IB is of uniform thickness and'of circularcross-sectional form. Y I n Figures 6, 7 andv .of the drawingsthere isshown a further modification, whereinY the spirals if! are of`increased'thickness, as at I8, at the vouter jsides of each spiralthroughout its extent.

This thickness I gradually diminishes" to theinner side of each spirall1, as is clearly shown in Figure 8.

In Figure 9 of the drawings'there is shown a further modication whereinthe spirals I9 are thickened, each at opposite sides 20 and at theoutermost area 2| thereof. The spiral I9 is of the formation alike tothespirals ll shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The thickened sides 2D graduallydiminish inwardly of vthe spiral I9.

By reason of the, formation of the tube inA spiral condition it has amaximum cushioning effect when employed in a pneumatic tire` and theYWalls of the spirals function for upholding Weight with less strain'uponthe tube in its en'- tirety and such tube is self-adjusting, absorb-`ing shocks and jars incident to the travel of the of said. body.

and affords maximum strength and durability, as

Well as free extending and contracting qualities.

It is, of course, to be understood that it is immaterial as to thedirection of the lspiral formation because Ythe spiral contour may beeither a right-hand directionl spiral or a left-hand direction spiral.

What is claimed is:

An inflatable pneumatic inner tube for a tire comprising a singletubformed elastic body having alspiral formation *throughout its ex-Ytent and of cross-sectional diameter to substantially rlll a tire shoeor casing for receiving the same With the innermost portions of thespirals in' close relation to each other, splices connecting the ends ofVthe body to present an annulus and thickened outer portions to therespective spirals Y STEPHEN' WILLIG.

